Stinks vs Sucks

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Stinks

Sucks

Informal Top 2,000 (common)

	Stinks	Sucks
Pronunciation		🇬🇧 //sʌks// 🇺🇸 //sʌks//
Meaning		is bad or unpleasant
Example	-	This movie really sucks!
Register	-	Informal
How common	-	Top 2,000 (common)
Collocations	-	sucks to be, sucks up, sucks at
Antonyms	-	succeeds, excels, impresses
Common mistakes	-	Used in formal contexts where it's inappropriate., Confused with 'suck' as a noun rather than a verb., Overusing it as a general complaint.
Usage notes	-	Commonly used in casual conversation among friends. It is inappropriate for formal settings and can be considered rude.

See it in real clips

I tell you, Pumbaa. This stinks.

Stinks

Avengers › Avengers Infinity War

Except it sucks, so let me do the plan...

Sucking it dry!

Avengers › Avengers Infinity War

Except it sucks, so let me do the plan...

Sucking it dry!

Sucks

Frequently asked questions: Stinks vs Sucks

What's the difference between Stinks and Sucks?

Stinks: Sucks: is bad or unpleasant

Can I use Stinks and Sucks interchangeably?

Not always. Stinks and Sucks are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.